Knitted fabric

ABSTRACT

Chain stitches in alternate wales are interconnected with open stitch loops in intervening wales in a warp knit multiply fabric. Portions of the chain stitches are disposed frontwardly and rearwardly of the interconnecting means. The intervening wales are superimposed upon said interconnecting means. The interconnections extend rectilinearly between the chain stitches and the intervening wales.

[ Dec. 11, 1973 United States Patent 1191 Traumuller et al.

[ KNITTED FABRIC [75] Inventors: Martin Traumuller, Dumont; Fred Primary Exami"e' Rnald Fedbaum Hunneke, Tenafly, both of NJ. Marks ABSTRACT Fdw 0 DEM [21] Appl. No.: 147,353 Chain stitches in alternate wales are interconnected with open stitch loops in intervening wales in a warp knit multiply fabric. Portions of the chain stitches are 52 US. 66/196, 66/195 disposed fromwardly and rearwamly of the intercom hit. i g means. intervning wales are superim 58 Field 61 Search........................ 66/195, 12318973, posed upon Said interconnecting means The intercom nections extend rectilinearly between the chain stitches and the intervening wales.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 3,552,152 l/197l Koppenburg 66/195 KNITTED FABRIC BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates tomultiply warp knit fabrics. 2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore, the utility of knitted fabrics has often 'been limited by the fact that their construction permits them to be stretched lengthwise and width-wise, thereby making it difficult for clothing composed of such fabrics to retain its fit and shape. In addition, it has frequently been difficult to sew and otherwise handle such fabrics in the manufacture and assembly of clothing and other articles made therefrom because conventional fabrics are often unbalanced or otherwise constructed so as to cause them to curl during such operations. Consequently, conventional knitted fabrics often move from their most desirable positions during said operations, thereby causing delay and inefficiency.

The present invention solves these problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a knitted fabric which is stretchable mainly in one direction and is substantially unstretchable at right angles thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a fabric, the construction of which minimizes any tendency to curl.

Another object of the invention is to provide a balanced, stable, lightweight fabric of the foregoing kind.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fabric of the foregoing kind which can be easily and economically manufactured on a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following discussion when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine is employed to produce an integral warp knit multiply fabric having alternate right and left hand chain stitches in alternate wales. The said fabric also includes open stitch loops in wales intervening between said alternate wales. Yarn is laid in between said chain stitches and said open stitch loops so as to interconnect the alternate wales and the intervening wales, thereby anchoring the alternate and intervening wales and minimizing lateral stretching of the fabric without interfering with axial stretching thereof.

Portions of the chain stitches are disposed frontwardly and rearwardly of the said laid in yarn, and the intervening wales are superimposed thereon. The resulting multiply fabric is balanced so as to permit its elements to be subjected to tension without tending to curl the fabric.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged plan view of one embodiment of the invention as seen from an angle inclined at 45 with respect to the surface thereof.

FIG. 2 is a point diagram indicating the lapping movements of a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine employed in producing the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a multiply fabric which, for purposes of clarity, is depicted as seen from an angle of 45 with respect to the surface of the fabric. As thus depicted, it will be seen that it includes a plurality of alternate wales, W-l, W-3, W-S, W-7, having a plurality of alternate rightand left hand chain stitches 21, 23, and wales, W-2, W-4, W-6, intervening between said alternate wales, W-ll, W-3, W-5, W-7. The said intervening wales, W-2, W4, W-6, include open loop stitchesll, 12, 13.

As may be seen in said FIG. 1, the chain stitches 21, 23 are interconnected to the open loop stitches 11, l2, 13 by laid in yarn 14a, 15a, 16a, 18a extending from open loops 14, 15, 16, 18 engaged with said chain stitches 21, 23 to the ends 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b of said open loop stitches. It will also be seen that laid in yarn 14a, 16a extends rightwardly of right hand chain stitches 21 and that laid in yarn 15a, 18a extends leftwardly of left hand chain stitches 23.

An important feature of the invention resides in the means for anchoring the chain stitches 21, 23 and the open loop stitches 11, 12, 13 and in preventing the fabric from being subjected to forces which would tend to make it curl.

Thus, the interconnection by the laid in yarn 14a, 15a, 16a between the chain stitches 21, 23 and the open loop stitches 11, 12, 13 anchors the alternate wales W-l, W-3, W5, W-7 and intervening wales W-2, W-4, W-6 with respect to each other. Each of the chain stitches 21, 23 is anchored to two successive open loop stitches 11, 12, 13 in intervening wales W2, W4, W-6 by means of alternately rightwardly and leftwardly extending laid in yarn 14a, 16a which extends between upper and lower elements 210, 23a of the chain stitches 21, 23 but is not otherwise engaged. With this arrangement, it will be seen that lateral displacement of the alternate wales W-1, W-3, WS, W-7 and intervening wales, W-2, W-4, W-6 with respect to each other is minimized although vertical displacement of the courses 08, C-9, O10, O11 of said alternate and intervening wales with respect to each other may be had. In effect, lateral stretching of the fabric is minimized while at the same time permitting substantial vertical stretching thereof.

It will also be seen that in each chain stitch 21, 23 the portions of the yarn comprising the same or extending therethrough are equally distributed on opposing sides thereof. Thus, in chain stitch 21, for example, the ends.

of loop 22 and the yarn extending between chain stitches 23 in adjacent upper and lower courses are disposed equally on opposing sides of said chain stitch 21. A similar disposition of yarn exists in respect to chain stitch 23. As previously observed, the laid in yarn 14a, 16a extends intermediately of upper and lower elements 21a, 23a of the chain stitches 21, 23 so that the indicated symmetrical disposition of the yarn remains undisturbed.

Again, it will be seen that the open loop stitches 11, 12, 13 are superimposed upon the laid in yarn 14a, 15a, 16a, 18a so as to effect an upper and lower ply fabric having equal numbers of yarn elements in each ply. Thus, there is a symmetrical distribution of yarn elements on opposing sides of the fabric so as to accomplish a balanced construction which will tend to effect an equal distribution of any force or stress imposed on the fabric. In this way, any tendency to curl the fabric which might otherwise arise by reason of an asymmetrical distribution of force or stress is minimized. It will also be observed that the laid in yarn extends from alternate open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on one side of said open loop stitches, and that the laid in yarn also extends from intervening of said open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on the other side of said open loop stitches.

The foregoing fabric is preferably composed of conventional yarn but other materials having similar characteristics may also be used for one or more of the abovementioned parts of the fabric. Said fabric may be manufactured on a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine in accordance with the following chain formula:

(Guide Bar) (Guide Bar) Back Needle Bar Front Needle Bar Back Needle Bar hkANJx-bhhh J QO OOO' BOQ:

. Front Needle Bar The lapping movements involved in forming the fabric are depicted in the point diagram shown in FIG. 2 where the front guide bar and back guide bar, referred to by numerals I and II respectively, are shown in successive positions, 1 through 4 (and then to a new cycle beginning with position 1) with respect to the back needle bar and front needle bar of the Raschel machine. The said positions of said guide bars I and II with respect to the front and back guide bar lings are also indicated.

The previously noted view of the fabric in FIG. 1 from an angle with respect to its surface, is also indicated by the arrow shown in FIG. 2 inclined at 45 with respect to the back and front needle bars. Said arrow adjacent to the 45 designation indicates the line of sight from which the fabric is seen in FIG. 1.

It will be observed that the fabric is of light-weight balanced construction; that it is stretchable in substantially one direction; that it is strong and substantially devoid of any tendency to curl when various portions of the fabric are subjected to tensile stress.

We claim:

1. An integral knitted multiply fabric comprising in combination:

a. alternate wales having chain stitches;

b. intervening wales;

c. means for anchoring said alternate wales and said intervening wales against lateral displacement thereof;

d. said anchoring means extending in a substantially straight line between said chain stitches and said intervening wales;

e. said anchoring means being disposed intermediately of portions of said chain stitches.

2. A fabric according to claim 1,

a. the stitches in said alternate wales being alternate right and left hand chain stitches;

b. said intervening wales including a plurality of open stitch loops.

3. A fabric according to claim 2,

a. the said anchoring means extending from said open stitch loops to said chain stitches.

4. A fabric according to claim 3,

a. the said anchoring means extending from alternate of said open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on one side of said open loop stitches;

b. the said anchoring means also extending from intervening of said open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on the other side of said open loop stitches.

5. A fabric according to claim 3,

a. the said intervening wales being superimposed upon said anchoring means.

6. A fabric according to claim 1, formed on a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine. 

1. An integral knitted multiply fabric comprising in combination: a. alternate wales having chain stitches; b. intervening wales; c. means for anchoring said alternate wales and said intervening wales against lateral displacement thereof; d. said anchoring means extending in a substantially straight line between said chain stitches and said intervening wales; e. said anchoring means being disposed intermediately of portions of said chain stitches.
 2. A fabric according to claim 1, a. the stitches in said alternate wales being alternate right and left hand chain stitches; b. said intervening wales including a plurality of open stitch loops.
 3. A fabric according to claim 2, a. the said anchoring means extending from said open stitch loops to said chain stitches.
 4. A fabric according to claim 3, a. the said anchoring means extending from alternate of said open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on one side of said open loop stitches; b. the said anchoring means also extending from intervening of said open loop stitches to alternate chain stitches on the other side of said open loop stitches.
 5. A fabric according to claim 3, a. the said intervening wales being superimposed upon said anchoring means.
 6. A fabric according to claim 1, formed on a double needle bar Raschel warp knitting machine. 